History Literature / HandbookForMortals

* AuthorAvatar: Lani Sarem originally wrote ''Handbook'' as a screenplay in which she herself would play Zade. Thus, the only difference between Zade and Lani is that Zade can do magic for real, and Sarem is about ten years older than Zade is meant to be.

* MulticoloredHair: Zade dyes her hair many different colors

* ClarkKenting: Zade uses magic every night for her act, but gets away with it by saying that her "illusions" are "old family secrets." This leads to conflict between her and Mac, whose real name is incidentally Clark Kent.

Early-Twenty-Something Zade Holder is the magically gifted daughter of a tarot card reader living in a [[SmallTownBoredom small, closed-minded Tennessee town]]. Because of this, she has always felt like an outcast and longs for a [[IJustWantToBeNormal more normal life]]. One day, she leaves to work in the prestigious Las Vegas magic show run by famous illusionist Charles Spellman. Using actual magic, Zade easily gets a role, and achieves stardom, friendship, and the sense of belonging she’s always wanted. Most significantly, Zade attracts the affections of two other employees of the show named Mac and Jackson. After months of dates, concerts, celebrity run-ins, and a magical duel in a shopping mall parking lot, Zade and Charles begin working on an [[ImpossiblyAwesomeMagicTrick actually-magic, potentially deadly, showstopping act]]. On opening night, [[ThirdActMisunderstanding complications in Zade’s love life]] cause the act to go horribly wrong.

* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands:Zade's tendency to have psychic glimpses of the near future is first brought up in chapter four. That is also the last time it's brought up.

* ThePrimaDonna: Sofia, the twentysomething girlfriend of Charles Spellman, who hates Zade for upstaging her.

* SoBeautifulItsACurse: Zade is so irresistible that a barfight breaks out because of her and a teenage girl accuses her of trying to steal her boyfriend.

* AnachronismStew: The Plain White T's are shown to be starting to become famous and on the verge of getting a record deal, which would place the story sometime in the first half of the 2000's, but the TV show ''Game of Thrones'' is mentioned as having at least two seasons, meaning that the novel must take place after 2012. Finally, Zade and Jackson go on a date to see a superhero movie starring Ryan Reynolds, which must have been either “Green Lantern” or ''Deadpool'', films that came out in 2011 and 2016 respectively.

* AnachronismStew: The Plain White T's are shown to be starting to become famous and on the verge of getting a record deal, which would place the story sometime in the first half of the 2000's, but the TV show ''Game of Thrones'' is mentioned as having at least two seasons, meaning that the novel must take place after 2012. Finally, Zade and Jackson go on a date to see a superhero movie starring Ryan Reynolds, which must have been either Green Lantern or ''Deadpool'',films that came out in 2011 and 2016 respectively.

* AnachronismStew: The Plain White T's are shown to be starting to become famous and on the verge of getting a record deal, which would place the story sometime in the first half of the 2000's, but the TV show ''Game of Thrones'' is mentioned as having at least two seasons, meaning that the novel must take place after 2012. Finally, Zade and Jackson go on a date to see a superhero movie starring Ryan Reynolds, which must have been ''Deadpool'', a film that came out in 2016.

* MadonnaWhoreComplex '''Jackson:''' ''[talking about Zade]''She's the kind you want to marry, not just use to get laid.

* AnachronismStew: The Plain White T's are shown to be starting to become famous and on the verge of getting a record deal, which would place the story sometime in the first half of the 2000's, but the TV show ''Game of Thrones'' is mentioned as having at least two seasons, meaning that the novel must take place after 2012. Finally, Zade and Jackson go on a date to see a superhero movie starring Ryan Reynolds, which could have been ''Deadpool'', a film that came out in 2016, or ''Green Lantern'', which came out in 2011.

* AnachronismStew: The Plain White T's are shown to be starting to become famous and on the verge of getting a record deal, which would place the story sometime in the first half of the 2000's, but the TV show ''Game of Thrones'' is mentioned as having at least two seasons, meaning that the novel must take place after 2012. Finally, Zade and Jackson go on a date to see a superhero movie starring Ryan Renolds, which must have been ''Deadpool'', a film that came out in 2016.

--> Please try not to freak out. I have to forge a . . . umm . . . well, it doesn't matter what it really is. It's going to look like a dagger--though it won't actually be a dagger at all. It's not worth explaining to you what it really is, other than it's magick.
--> I waved my hands in elliptical motions, replaying that image in my mind. In a few seconds, my tent had risen by itself and was sitting securely on its own.

* {{Plagiarism}}: [[https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjA4vTM4JTXAhUISiYKHcffCPAQFggoMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedingcool.com%2F2017%2F08%2F26%2Fhandbook-for-mortals-knife-thrower%2F&usg=AOvVaw2SfYgVesn66xsHxTkAmSDG The novel's cover]] is a copy of "The Knife Thrower" by Gill De Mace.

** Jackson's band is called the Plain White T's, and its real-life members appear except for the lead singer being replaced by Jackson (who himself is an expy of Jackson Rathbone, making the whole situation even stranger).

* EntropyAndChaosMagic: Zade’s trick that goes catastrophically wrong is literally done with “chaos magic”.

* HurricaneOfAphorisms: Zade says that she is a big fan of quotes and has one for almost any occasion.

* LoveTriangle: Zade spends the entirety of Act 2 torn between the dashing musician Jackson and the brooding, wounded Mac

* PeepingTom: Mac watches Zade through a cracked-open door while she's getting her measurements taken
* PerkyGoth: Lil, a costume designer

* SoBeautifulItsACurse: Zade is so irresistible that a barfight breaks out because of her and a teenage girl accuses her of trying to steal her boyfriend

* AuthorAvatar: Lani Sarem orginially wrote ''Handbook'' as a screenplay in which she herself would play Zade. Thus, the only difference between Zade and Lani is that Zade can do magic for real, and Sarem is about ten years older than Zade is meant to be.

* SoBeautifulitsaCurse: Zade is so irresistible that a barfight breaks out because of her and a teenage girl accuses her of trying to steal her boyfriend

* ThatCameOutWrong: Mac accidentally says one, and it causes him a great deal of embarassment.

->'''Mac: '''Think there’s a book or something out there?\\

* SequelHook:
** Many plotlines are introduced once, never to be touched on again in Book 1.
** The first novel ends with ''“and they lived happily ever after…OR DO THEY?”''. The "preview" of the second book begins exactly where the chapter left off, suggesting that it may have been the actual ending to the book.
* StageMagician: Charles Spellman

* AnachronismStew: The Plain White T's are shown to be starting to become famous and on the verge of getting a record deal, which would place the story sometime in the first half of the 2000's, but Zade has an iPhone, which came out in 2007.

** Jackson's band is called the Plain White T's, and its real-life members.

** The first novel ends with ''“and they lived happily ever after…OR DO THEY?”''

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Zade’s full name is Scheherazade Esther Holder

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: [[Spoiler: Sofia]] falls 50 feet into a pool of water and lands flat on her back. She walks away with a minor concussion and a few bruises.

** Zade is attracted to Mac the moment she sees him, and he to her, but the first interaction between them turns into an enormous fight
** [[spoiler: Dela and Charles]]
* BishieSparkle: Zade describes Jackson’s eyes as “sparkling” multiple times
* BouquetToss: [[spoiler: Dela throws hers, and magically makes Zade catch it]]

** Zade runs into Carrot Top and Wayne Newton while at the shopping mall

** Zade owns a Ducati Streetfighter
** Mac owns a 1969 Triumph Trophy
* DisappearedDad: Zade grew up without her father present in her life
* EntropyAndChaosMagic: Zade’s trick that goes catastrophically wrong is literally done with “chaos magic”

** Zade's audition
** Zade and Charles' new "illusion"

* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler: Charles]] is revealed to be Zade's father

EarlyTwentySomething Zade Holder is the magically gifted daughter of a tarot card reader living in a [[SmallTownBoredom small, closed-minded Tennessee town]]. Because of this, she has always felt like an outcast and longs for a [[IJustWantToBeNormal more normal life]]. One day, she leaves to work in the prestigious Las Vegas magic show run by famous illusionist Charles Spellman. Using actual magic, Zade easily gets a role, and achieves stardom, friendship, and the sense of belonging she’s always wanted. Most significantly, Zade attracts the affections of two other employees of the show named Mac and Jackson. After months of dates, concerts, celebrity run-ins, and a magical duel in a shopping mall parking lot, Zade and Charles begin working on an [[ImpossiblyAwesomeMagicTrick actually-magic, potentially deadly, showstopping act]]. On opening night, [[ThirdActMisunderstanding complications in Zade’s love life]] cause the act to go horribly wrong.

* AuthorAvatar: Lani Sarem orginially wrote Handbook as a screenplay in which she herself would play Zade. Thus, the only difference between Zade and Lani is that Zade can do magic for real, and is about ten years older than Zade is meant to be.

** Zade is attracted to Mac the moment she sees him, and he to her, but the first interaction between them turns into an enormous fight, **Charles and Dela disliked each other at first

* AwesomeMcCoolname:
** Zade’s full name is Scheherazade Esther Holder
* AuthorAppeal:
** Lani Sarem worked in David Copperfield's magic show, managed bands, rides motorcycles, and enjoys tarot cards.
* AuthorAvatar:
** Lani Sarem orginially wrote Handbook as a screenplay in which she herself would play Zade. Thus, the only difference between Zade and Lani is that Zade can do magic for real, and is about ten years older than Zade is meant to be.

* BishieSparkle:
** Zade describes Jackson’s eyes as “sparkling” multiple times
* ByronicHero:
** Mac is easily angered, has trust issues, and gets a little bit physically violent. Zade thinks he’s passionate and intense.

* ChaosMagic:
** Zade’s trick that goes catastrophically wrong is literally done with “chaos magic”
* DisappearedDad:
** Zade grew up without her father present in her life
* GenerationXerox:
** It is mentioned several times that Zade looks exactly like her mother.
* HotMenAtWork:
** Not a conventional example, but Zade thinks several times about how she thinks "show blacks” are sexy.
* InformedAttribute:
** We are often told that Jackson is charming and witty, but most of his dates with Zade are summarized.
* LoveTriangle:
** Zade spends the entirety of Act 2 torn between the dashing musician Jackson and the brooding, wounded Mac
* LukeIAmYourFather:
** [[spoiler: Charles]] is revealed to be Zade's father
* MeetCute:
** Zade meets Jackson when she bumps into him and he catches her.
* MulticoloredHair:
** Zade dyes her hair many different colors
* Nickname:
** Pretty much every character.

* Outofcontexteavesdropping:
** Mac overhears Zade and Charles saying they love each other and hugging, and he thinks that they’re romantically involved. They’re not.
* PerkyGoth:
** Lil
* ThePrimaDonna:
** Sofia, the twentysomething girlfriend of Charles Spellman, who hates Zade for upstaging her.
* SoBeautifulitsaCurse:
** Zade is so irresistible that a barfight breaks out because of her and a teenage girl accuses her of trying to steal her boyfriend
* TarotMotifs:
** Zade and her mother are both tarot readers, and each of the chapters is named after one of the major arcana.
* UnreliableNarrator:
** Zade misremembers events and does not disclose everything she knows as she learns it.

* StageMagician:
** Charles Spellman
* WizardDuel:
** Zade and the mysterious girl in the parking lot
* WomanScorned:
** literally name-dropped, Dela calls Charles’ assistant is this.